Klemheist knot

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Klemheist knot

Names	Klemheist knot, French Machard knot
Category	Hitch
Related	Prusik knot, Bachmann knot, Blake's hitch
Typical use	Rock climbing
ABoK	#1762
Instructions	[1]

The klemheist knot or French Machard knot is a type of friction hitch that grips the rope when weight is applied, and is free to move when the weight is released. It is used similarly to a Prusik knot or the Bachmann knot to ascend or descend a climbing rope. One advantage is that webbing can be used as an alternative to cord. The Klemheist is easier to slide up than a Prusik. The klemheist is also a way to attach a snubber to the anchor rope of small boats, with the advantage that it is easy to undo.^[1]

Sometimes the knot name is misspelled as kleimheist, with an extra i.

Technique

[edit]

Make a secure loop of a cord (see Double fisherman's knot) that is definitely narrower than the rope. Wrap from one end around the rope two or three times in a direction that will be down. The loose end is then threaded through the starting end, and carefully tightened to leave the wraps neat. In use, strain must be taken only on the hanging end. If the knot slips when load is placed on the hanging loop, re-tie around the climbing rope another time or two, until there is no slippage. Holding around the wraps will let you slide the knot up or down. Making the wraps slide when the hitch is under tension will create friction heat on the rope and the knot.

References

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^ Eric Vola, « Le nœud Machard et son histoire Archived 2016-06-03 at the Wayback Machine », site du CAF-Marseille, 2015

External links

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Grog. "Klemheist animated using rope". Animated Knots.
Chockstone: Friction Knots
Mark Adams's "Son of a Hitch: A Genealogy of Arborists’ Climbing Hitches"
A scientific study of common friction knots

Knots

By type

Bends	Adjustable Albright special Ashley's Alpine butterfly Basket weave Beer Blood Carrick Double fisherman's Fisherman's Flemish Grief Halyard Harness Heaving line Hunter's Nail One-sided overhand Racking Sheet Shoelace Shroud Simple Simon under Single carrick Surgeon's Surgeon's loop Triple fisherman's True lover's Water Zeppelin
Binding	Boa Bottle sling Constrictor Corned beef Granny Ground-line hitch Jamming Miller's Packer's Reef Strangle Thief Transom
Climbing	Autoblock Bachmann Beer Bowline on a bight Alpine butterfly Directional figure eight Double bowline Farmer's loop Figure-eight Figure-eight loop Figure-of-nine loop Friction hitch Klemheist Munter hitch Noose Overhand loop Prusik Trident loop Yosemite bowline
Coils & shanks	Chain sinnet Sheepshank
Decorative	Carrick mat Chinese button Celtic button Diamond Fiador Friendship Ghiordes & Senneh Matthew Walker Turk's head Wall and crown (triple crown knot)
Fishing (angling)	Angler's loop Arbor Bimini twist Blood Fisherman's Improved clinch Knotless Nail Palomar Snell Trilene Triple fisherman's Turle Uni
Hitches	Adjustable grip Anchor bend Axle Bachmann Bale sling Barrel Becket Blackwall Blake's Boom Buntline Cat's paw Clove Cow Distel Double overhand noose Falconer's Farrimond friction Friction hitch Garda Ground-line Half Halter Highpoint Highwayman's Hitching tie Icicle Improved clinch Killick Knute Lobster buoy Marlinespike Munter Ossel Pile Pipe Sailor's Snuggle Swing Taut-line Timber Trucker's Tumble
Loop	Angler's Artillery loop Bale sling hitch Bowline Bumper Carrick bend loop Cossack Cowboy bowline Diamond Double bowline Dropper loop Eskimo bowline Fiador Fireman's chair Friendship knot Halter hitch Handcuff Honda Jury mast Overhand Portuguese bowline Rigid double splayed loop in the bight Slippery eight Span Spanish bowline Tom fool's Trident Triple bowline Water bowline Yosemite bowline Zeppelin
Running (slip)	Hangman's Running bowline Running highwayman's hitch Tarbuck
Splices & splicing	Eye Fid Marlinspike Rat-tail T Western Union
Stopper	Ashley's stopper Button Double overhand Figure-eight knot Monkey's fist Overhand Stevedore
Whipping	Common Overhand knot with draw-loop Portuguese Sailmaker's West Country

Lists of knots
Related topics

Lists of knots	Bends Bindings Decorative knots Hitches (friction) Mathematical
Related topics	Chinese knotting Density History International Guild of Knot Tyers Macramé Mizuhiki Norigae Ropework Lashing Splicing Seizing Sennit